Building for sale – Re-purposing the Chamber of Commerce information centre

Another in our series “Life in our little Town of Summerland”

The rumours are true; the Summerland Chamber of Commerce has put up its roadside information centre for sale. Located on Highway 97 at Thompson Road the site has outlived its usefulness. For many decades, alert and weary travelers would stop in for maps and brochures, seeking assistance with accommodation, to use washrooms, and enjoy a friendly chat with travel advisors. The numbers of visitors however has dwindled as most travelers are now equipped with Google Maps, Expedia advance bookings, and possibly the ability to hold their water longer.

So the times they are a-changin’ as Bob Dylan sang in 1964. Change however comes slowly in Summerland. The big question is what to do with the property? Sure, put it up for sale—it is zoned residential/commercial, but who could use the site profitably. I have some suggestions: 

1. A liquor store — possibly not the best location if you are trying to discourage drinking and driving but as Doug Ford has discovered in Ontario, more booze means more money, and it’s more fun than trying to solve the Ontario housing crisis;
2. A niche doughnut shop — great little parking lot (brand new because of the fire caused by a drug deal gone bad a few months back). Sure  Timmies is just down the street and Grannies Bakery lurks on the other side of the highway, but we all love competition don’t we. As for the “niche” part, how about doughnuts with no holes; doughnuts with more nuts than dough; instead of chocolate dip, how about all chocolate. Just some helpful thoughts;
3. A car dealership — We have one already; how about a second. One could be for LH drive vehicles; on the other side of the highway, one for RH drive vehicles–there are some around already;
4. A bookshop — This is actually a possibility; I would work there myself as I live just steps away from the site. How about some sort of integration with photo tourism; worth considering;
5. A doctor’s office — only problem with this is finding a doctor. We have a new one settling in but hey, we could sure use two more. Elsewhere in Canada cities and towns are offering incentives—how about a free ranch with horses and an airstrip;
6. A bike shop — We already have one, but this location with its highway visibility could be excellent; just need to find a way to slow cars down on a stretch of highway sometimes called the Okanagan 500. Safer for bikes on the cycle path;
7. A biker gang hideout — Okay, not all that hidden, but lots of room in the aforementioned parking lot, likely familiar to some of our local two-wheeled reprobates;
8. A Blue Jays fan club — OK, trust me on this one friends. Next season will be better! With great pitching from rookie Bowden Francis, and maybe  the Jays pick up Gerrit Cole from the Yankees, and given the combined bats of Springer, Loperfido, Vladdy, Horowitz, Wagner, Barger, and Schneider, there is hope. Fans stay strong;
9. Another Thrift Store — We currently have four (I think) but it seems we could always use more. We also have a collection of “dollar” stores. So what’s one more. We all gotta be known for something, and given the struggling wine industry, innovation is required;
10. A liturgical furniture store — We have lots of pews from the Anglican Church available. We are swapping some for chairs, but need a place to store the pews in the meantime. We could call it “Preowned Pews.”

For listing details click here.

The owners and operators of takenote.ca are not connected with the Summerland Chamber of Commerce and derive no pecuniary or agency benefit from any potential sale. We would appreciate however, doughnuts.